Giving it straight back to the Lord.
It’s hard to argue that there’s a bigger artist, not just in the genre but music as a whole, than Ella Langley in 2026. In case you haven’t been keeping up with her and “Choosin’ Texas’” success, it just spent its 22nd week at #1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and officially tied Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” as the longest-running #1 hit EVER in U.S. history. As it stands today, “Choosin’ Texas” is the longest-running #1 hit by a female artist this century and the only country song by a woman to triple up and go #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, Hot Country and Country Airplay charts simultaneously.
In case that wasn’t enough, thanks to the success of her sophomore album, Dandelion, which debuted at #1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and sold 169,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week, Langley became just the second woman in history to hold the #1 album and song in the U.S. simultaneously with a country song/album.
She would also capture other records on the Hot 100, such as becoming the first country artist IN HISTORY to hold the Top 2 songs in the United States simultaneously for more than one week and the first female country artist to score three of the Top 4 hits on the Hot 100 in a single week, becoming one of only nine artists in any genre to accomplish this feat.
The past week, in particular, has been quite historic for Langley. In addition to the aforementioned tying of Carey’s long-standing Hot 100 record, the Alabama native has also gone back to #1 on the Billboard 200 with Dandelion five months after its release, became the first female artist this decade to score four Top 10 hits on country radio with a single album and received a whole lot of love at the upcoming CMA Awards.
In case you missed it, last Thursday, the “Be Her” singer led all artists and received a staggering nine nominations at the 60th annual CMA Awards this November. The nominations include her first-ever Entertainer of the Year nod, Album of the Year for Dandelion, Single and Song of the Year for both “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas,” Female Vocalist of the Year, Music Event of the Year (“I Can’t Love You Anymore” with Morgan Wallen) and Music Video of the Year (“Choosin’ Texas”).
With nine nods at the CMAs, Langley tied the record for the most nominations in one year by a female artist, joining the likes of Miranda Lambert (2010, 2014) and Lainey Wilson (2023). In fact, she was just one away from tying Alan Jackson’s all-time CMA record of 10 back in 2002.
Of course, each and every nomination feels incredibly well-deserved for a woman in the genre who has broken down barriers after grinding for years — despite what many pop stans like to believe. And during her show in Newark, New Jersey, at the Prudential Center, Langley took the time to reflect on the historic CMA nods.
Before performing her current Top 10 single, “Loving Life Again,” Langley would explain how she was speechless upon watching the Country Music Association announce its 2026 nominees. After acknowledging how incredible a year she has had so far, she’d immediately give everything straight back to God and tell the crowd how good He has been to her.
“Today, there’s this thing in country music called the CMA Awards. I woke up this morning at 9:00 a.m., and I sat there. I don’t know how I keep getting speechless at things, because you think this year [I’d] be like, ‘Yeah, alright.’ But, no. God has been so good to me — has been just so, so good to me.”
Like many “Loving Life Again” speeches in the past, she’d also tell the New Jersey crowd how grateful she is for her success over the past two years and how much it means to see the impact her songs have had on fans recently.
“I’m just a poor girl from a small town with a big dream — pretty cliche, I know. But it’s true. I’ve done countless things — ridiculous, dumb things in my life. I don’t feel like I always deserve it, but I am so grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to stand up here and sing songs that I love. I get to write songs that mean something to me, and then I get to watch a crowd of people that means something to them. It means something to you, so thank you. Thank you for listening.”
Watch here:
@sabrinafromqueens & she deserves every bit of it @Ella Langley #ellalangley #cmaawards
Dandelion Tour Dates
9/17/26 Oxford, MS SJB Pavilion (@, %)
9/18/26 Athens, GA Akins Ford Arena (@, %)
9/19/26 Jacksonville, FL Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena (@, %)
9/24/26 Knoxville, TN Food City Center Arena (@, %)
9/25/26 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center (@, %)
9/26/26 Moline, IL Vibrant Arena (@, %)
10/7/26 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre (@, &)
10/9/26 Tulsa, OK BOK Center (@, %)
10/10/26 Lubbock, TX United Supermarkets Arena (@, %)
10/13/26 Los Angeles, CA The Greek Theatre (@, %)
10/14/26 Los Angeles, CA The Greek Theatre (@, %)
10/29/26 Des Moines, IA Casey’s Center (@, &)
10/30/26 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena (@, &)
10/31/26 Saint Paul, MN Grand Casino Arena (@, &)
Support Acts:
@ Kameron Marlowe & Gabriella Rose
% Laci Kaye Booth
